Abstract
The aim of the study was to determine air pollution over the sea surface (North Sea and Baltic Sea) compared to the situation in ports, as well as to examine the impact of ships on the level of particulate matter (PM) concentration. The measurements, made during the two-week cruise of the tall ship Fryderyk Chopin, demonstrated that the principal source of PM emission over the sea surface are passing ships equipped with internal combustion engines, including quite numerous units powered by marine oil. The highest pollution levels were observed in locations distant from the coast, with increasing concentrations when other ships were approaching. During the cruise, at least two places were identified with increased PM concentration (18–28 μg/m3 for PM10 and 15–25 μg/m3 for PM2.5) caused by passing ships. The share of PM2.5 fraction in the general PM concentration in these places increased from 70–72% to 82–85%, which means that combustion emission dominated. In turn, measurements made in ports (Copenhagen and Kołobrzeg) showed lower levels of air pollution and indicated a typical variability of the PM concentrations characteristic for land areas. The results confirm the need for determining suitable solutions for sustainable sea transport.
Highlights
Clean air is considered to be a fundamental factor important for human health and well-being
The Directive of the European Parliament and the Council of 21 May 2008 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe defines “pollution” as any substance contained in the air which can harm human health and the whole environment
According to Environment Agency (EEA) [2] for PM10, i.e., airborne dust particles with equivalent aerodynamic diameter not larger than 10 μm, the annual average of 40 μg/m3 is treated as the threshold for the protection of human health
Summary
Clean air is considered to be a fundamental factor important for human health and well-being. Governments and organizations introduce thresholds on the levels of air pollutants to reduce the risk of human disease. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the World Health Organization (WHO), European Commission (EC) and the European Environment Agency (EEA) declare [1] different limits for these substances in the air (EPA, WHO, EC, EEA) see Table 1. According to EEA [2] for PM10, i.e., airborne dust particles with equivalent aerodynamic diameter not larger than 10 μm, the annual average of 40 μg/m3 is treated as the threshold for the protection of human health. The average annual threshold for PM2.5, particles with equivalent aerodynamic diameter not larger than 2.5 μm, is 25 μg/m3. The negative impact of pollution, in particular suspended particles, on human health has been presented in [3,4]. A comprehensive review of relevant studies along with recommended environmental actions is presented in the WHO Review of evidence on health aspects of air pollution (REVIHAAP) report [5]
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